Avoca-Dos and Don’ts

It’s no secret that avocados have remarkable health benefits. They offer nearly 20 vitamins and minerals in each serving, including Vitamins A, D, K and E, and more potassium than bananas. They’re low in sugar and high in fiber, and more than 75 percent of the fat in avocados is considered “good” fat, according to Avocados From Mexico.

Even without the nutritional value, avocados are simply delicious—it’s a universal fact. They’re a welcome addition to any meal. Salads, eggs, smoothies, you name it. Consumers can’t get enough of their avocados.

So consider my surprise to learn that this beloved superfood may soon carry a warning label. In the U.K., surgeons have seen a growing number of chefs flooding hospitals with what they’re calling “avocado hand”—serious stab and slash injuries resulting from failed attempts to slice the fruit’s tough outer casing, according to The Times in London.

Sure, we’ve all been there before. Cutting open an avocado can be tricky the first few times around, and don’t even get me started on removing that pesky pit. But these amateur chefs are acquiring serious injuries involving damage to nerves and tendons, and some never recover the full use of their (avocado) hands. Because of this, the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons is calling for safety labels on the fruit.

What does this mean for the future of avocados? If the U.S. were to also adopt an avocado warning label, would consumers begin to reconsider a purchase? In this scenario, it would be imperative that retailers provide their customers with information on not only avocados’ nutritional value, but on the proper way to safely slice and dice the fruit to avoid the dreaded “avocado hand.”

Even without the warning label, retailers today should provide in-store demos on how to properly cut an avocado to keep their customers safe and build shopper trust and loyalty. According to Avocados From Mexico, the safest way to slice an avocado is to cut it in half, remove the pit with a spoon, cut it length-wise to slice and cut in little squares to dice. Spoon out the tasty contents, add it to just about anything and enjoy. You can check out Avocado From Mexico’s slicing demo video here.

Stay safe out there, avocado lovers. And beware of the “avocado hand.”